David Deal, the father of Ame Deal -- the 10-year-old girl who died a year ago after her family members admittedly stuffed the girl in a footlocker for taking a Popsicle -- has become the sixth member of the family arrested for alleged crimes against the girl.

David Deal was arrested on child-abuse and kidnapping charges, indicating that it's not for the abuse that killed her.

Ame was one of about 12 children living in a filthy Phoenix house near 35th Avenue and Broadway Road with her grandmother, Judith Deal, her aunt, Cynthia Stolzmann, and her cousins, John and Samantha Allen.

According to court documents previously obtained by New Times, the abuse of Ame included frequently being locked in a footlocker, being forced to eat dog feces, getting beaten with a wooden paddle, being forced to sleep in a shower stall with no pillow or blankets, and having hot sauce shoved in her mouth, among other things.

Those abuses were regarded as punishment for things such as "lying" and stealing food.

The Allens have been charged with first-degree murder because they admittedly locked Deal in the footlocker the night she died because she took a Popsicle without asking, while Judith Deal and Stolzmann were each booked on charges of kidnapping and child abuse after admitting to police they'd locked the girl in the trunk in the past.

Ammandea Stoltzmann, another relative, was arrested in February for abusing the girl as well -- admitting to keeping Ame outside at night with a dog collar and chain, among other things -- and David Deal's now been arrested for alleged abuses of the girl before her death as well.

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Some guy in Pennsylvania claims to be the girl's real father -- a claim that was only brought up after the girl was dead -- but David Deal's name is on Ame's birth certificate, and he had raised her from birth.

A source who knew the family told New Times last year that Deal was living in a tent in the filthy home's backyard when Ame died last year.

We're in the process of getting the details on what exactly Deal's accused of doing, so we'll provide that update when it comes along.